'Bengaluru have Chhetri' - ATK Mohun Bagan boss Antonio Habas tags Sunil Chhetri as the 'best player in India'

Antonio Habas has conceded that ATK Mohun Bagan may need leaders Mumbai City to drop points in order to finish the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) league stage at the top of the table.

The Mariners picked up a 4-1 win against Odisha over the weekend and are set to face Bengaluru in three days' time.

"We can have no excuses (about the fixture list). The competition is like this and we have to compete giving our 100 percent. We look at the competition day-by-day and match-by-match. Now the Bengaluru match is another match but it's never the same match," said the Spaniard.

The coach of the Kolkata-based outfit is not worried about the three goals his side conceded in their last two games. They have also scored seven goals during the same period.

"I think it's a good balance. Of the three goals we conceded, one was from a set-piece and one from long distance. I think the team is continuing welll in defense and now we are improving in attack, which is very important for us," Habas said.

ISL

Bengaluru have been struggling to find the right balance amid injuries and their head coach Moosa has also admitted a lack of depth in their squad. However, Habas has identified the individual brilliance of Sunil Chhetri as a factor to look out for.

"I think Sunil is the best player in India. It's clear with his trajectory. At this moment, he is the balance in his team. Bengaluru may have difficulties but Chhetri is always positive."

Currently trailing Mumbai City (33) by three points while the Islanders would have a game in hand after Bagan play Bengaluru, Habas mentioned that it would be imperative to approach one game at a time for now.

"The target is to be in the play-offs mathematically and after that we are thinking about the first position in the regular league, after that the semi-finals and after that the final, if possible. It (top of the league finish) also depends on Mumbai to lose some matches but we have to go match by match and we are not thinking too far ahead," resolved the two-time ISL winner.